Memory Writing Prompt

A few weeks ago I started a writing course. One of our first pieces of homework (I’m 23 and I’m doing homework, somebody pinch me) was to write 500 words based on a memory of an event which was the truth, an event which was a lie and one which had elements of truth and lie.

So I did the work and the mixed I actually quite liked and received really positive feedback from others in my group and so I’ve decided to share it on here. We were given different topics at different stages of your life. For this category I went for childhood and my first/favourite toy.

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Your First Toy/Favourite Toy

Did you ever do that thing as a kid where you refused to pick a favourite toy because you felt it was unfair or didn’t want your other toys to feel bad? I was that kid. Perhaps it was just me?

Looking back I did have my favourites and it just so happens that my favourite toy was my first toy, if you could call it that. It was my bear. Yes, I know that’s cliche but it was, or is.. to be honest I still have it.

When I was younger I would take him everywhere with me. To the park, when visiting family in London. I remember I wanted to take it with me on holiday but my parents wouldn’t let me, looking back it was probably a wise decision.

I had other toys which I loved, for example Tinkie Winkie and Po from the Teletubbies (my sister and the other two), my ladybug named Sophie, a huge fluffy dog named Max and a smaller dog I named Peewee after my Yiayia’s old dog. I loved them all for various reasons but I didn’t grow up with them, I grew up with my bear. See I got this toy the day I was born, from what I gather my dad bought it for me, so naturally it holds sentimental and special value to me.

Having said that I did nearly lose him once. If there’s one thing guaranteed it’s that I am one of the most forgetful people you will ever meet, this was worse when I was a kid because I was always daydreaming and usually oblivious to what was happening around me. Anyway, my mums best friend and her kids (who at the time I thought were my cousins) came down and we had a picnic on the beach.

We had a really good day out.. Well, my sister almost drowned, but that’s another story. When it was time to leave I started to help and pack things away, as usual in my own little world. It was only when I got home I realised he wasn’t there, and I panicked. I went to my parents and told them. My dad then picked up his keys, we got in the car and drove back to the beach. Amazingly he was still there. I of course got a bit of a lecture from my dad about not leaving things and being more aware of my surroundings etc. etc. but as far as my bear was concerned it didn’t matter because that was his last outing. I was too scared of leaving him behind again and he hasn’t left my room since.

Do you want to know something strange though? I’ve had this bear for 23 years, literally my entire life, and I’ve never given him a name. Weirdly I can’t give him a name now because it just doesn’t feel right. He is the bear who must not be named, my first and favourite childhood toy.

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Can you tell which part is truth and which part is lie? Probably, but it really makes me smile that I created something and that people liked what they read at the time during that class.

It’s rather kiddish however, in a way I like that because I’ve never tried writing for a younger audience before so this was very different and new, which I liked.

I may post more on here. There is one more based on memory which I’ve done however, we’re now starting to create our own stories so my novel has taken a back seat to prioritise that, but also because I’d like to take what I learn from there and feed it into my writing as a whole. I may post more of my work from this course to my blog, we shall see.

I hope you enjoyed this, feel free to use the prompt for yourself if you’re interested in writing based on memories. You can do it based on truth or you can mix it up or you can lie – it’s completely up to you.